Onanuga: Tinubu didn’t buy new presidential jet… what he got is refurbished
Tinubu sought the approval of the national assembly for a refurbished jet still in good condition instead of spending a lot of money on aircraft maintenance.
By Idris Temidayo
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, says his principal acquired a refurbished official jet, contrary to public opinion that it was a brand new one.
Onanuga spoke on Sunday while appearing on Inside Sources, a socio-economic programme, anchored by Laolu Akande on Channels Television.
“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane, it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property,” the presidential aide said.
He said some jets in the presidential fleet like a 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 purchased during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo are all in bad condition, noting that that their maintenance costs were outrageous.
Onanuga added that Tinubu sought the approval of the national assembly for a refurbished jet still in good condition instead of spending a lot of money on aircraft maintenance.
He urged Nigerians to prioritise the president’s safety, noting that the newly acquired plane is Nigeria’s property, not Tinubu’s.
“The president did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used,” Onanuga said.
“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago.
“There was a time the president went to Saudi Arabia, that plane developed some problems, and the president had to leave with a chartered jet to The Netherlands.
“People should try to prioritise the safety of the president. I’m not sure anybody wishes our president to go and crash in the air.
“We want his safety so that he can hand over to whoever wants to take over from him.”
